If you're cavalier about the chemicals you use around the house, you could be risking your life.

I was reminded of that by a brief in today's paper about a warning from the Centers for Disease Control on the use of certain chemical strippers in the bathtub refinishing process. The strippers, which contain methylene chloride, killed 13 people from 2000 to 2011. At least one of them was a do-it-yourselfer.

I happened upon this post in the blog A Little Yellow Ranch while I was researching a story and got a kick out of the photos from a vintage Sherwin-Williams brochure. Since the company is based in Cleveland, I'm guessing the houses were photographed in Northeast Ohio. This one looks at lot like Garfield Heights to me, but I suppose it could be any of a number of Northeast Ohio neighborhoods. Look familiar to anyone?

Peninsula has been named one of the best old-house neighborhoods by This Old House magazine.

The Summit County village was the only Ohio community included in this year's list of 61 neighborhoods. It also won special honors as one of six editors' picks, chosen as the best area for lovers of small towns.

The Duct Tape Guys are bringing their act to Akron next weekend. They're be the headliners at the HBA Akron Home & Flower Show, opening Friday at the John S. Knight Center downtown. Read more about them here.

The Petersiks, who live in Richmond, Va., write about the ongoing renovation of their 49-year-old house, the second home they've redone. They share the pitfalls and pride of their DIY undertaking, along with projects you can steal and peeks into other people's remodeled homes. You can even take a quick look back at the changes they made to their first home, a transformation worthy of those TV home-improvement shows.